The majority of problems experienced with WiFi network connectivity arises from the wireless router. Most of the time, the problem can be traced back to the cheap modem-router combinations that telecommunications companies like AT&T and Comcast foist off on their customers. While these units provide cheap Internet connectivity, they often don’t provide better connection speeds than 802.11g, colloquially referred to as “wireless g”. Since the release of 802.11g in 2003, wireless standards rocketed past even wireless-G’s successor, 802.11n.

The newest standard today is 802.11ac, which adds not just increased transfer speeds but also better connectivity. To get the most out of the latest wireless standards, however, you need a wireless adapter with the 802.11n or 802.11ac technology in addition to a router capable of providing such speeds.

Another issue complicating the various wireless standards is that of channel saturation. For those living in apartments, you may frequently experience Internet disconnections. That’s because the 2.4 GHz spectrum remains the most popular bandwidth for modern devices. A very recent trend among device manufacturers has been to include 5 GHz, along with the older 2.4 GHz band. These routers are known as “dual-band” and can connect to either 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz wireless adapters.